Since then, the amount of deposit needed for a mortgage has risen by an astounding 386pc.

In 2001, the ratio between average house price and salary was 7.4, but had risen to 11.1 by 2011. Variations in different regions of the country have uncovered even greater gaps with the biggest change in Copeland, Cumbria, where house prices rose but 145pc, but income had inflated by just 5pc.

The North of England and the Midlands have suffered most from this phenomenon, with Corby, Redcar and Cleveland, Burnley, South Ribble, Calderdale and the Staffordshire Moorlands being the most affected areas. In the South, Watford and Basildon are the areas where the gap between house prices and wages has increased the most over the ten-year period.

David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, sympathised with first-time buyers.

“These shocking figures show that it is getting increasingly harder for millions of people to buy a home of their own in the current climate.

“With the gap between income and house prices growing ever wider, people can often feel like they have to win the lottery to be able to buy in their local area.

“A shortage of homes means the price to buy them is being pushed ever higher by the market, and out of reach of millions of hard working families. Unless we start building more homes people can truly afford to match the demand, this will only get worse.”